Princess Milica of Serbia

Princess Milica Hrebeljanović née Nemanjić (Serbian:

Saint
Милица Немањић Хребељановић · ca. 1335 – November
11, 1405) also known as Empress (Tsaritsa) Milica, was a Milica Nemanjić
royal consort of Serbia by marriage to Prince Lazar, and regent Hrebeljanović
of Serbia during the minority of her son, despot Stefan Милица Немањић Хребељановић
Lazarević from 1389 to 1393.

She later became a Serbian Orthodox nun under the name

Jevgenija. She is the author of "A Mother's Prayer" (Serbian:
Молитва матере) and a famous poem of mourning for her
husband, My Widowhood's Bridegroom (Serbian: Удовству
мојему женик).

Biography

Early life

She was the daughter of Prince Vratko Nemanjić (known in

Serb epic poetry as Jug Bogdan), who as a great-grandson of
Vukan Nemanjić, Grand Prince of Serbia (ruled 1202-1204)),
was part of the collateral, elder branch of the Nemanjić dynasty.
Her husband was Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović. She was the
fourth cousin once removed of Emperor Dušan of Serbia.

Regency

After the death of her husband at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389,

Milica ruled Serbia until 1393 when her son, Stefan Lazarević
Hrebeljanović, came of age to take the throne.[1]

Nun

She founded the Ljubostinja monastery around 1390 and later Tsaritsa Milica
took monastic vows at her monastery and became the nun Born 1335
Eugenia (Јевгенија, later abbess Euphrosine, Јефросина) Died November 11, 1405
around 1393.[2]
Venerated in Eastern Orthodox
In later diplomatic negotiations with Sultan Bayezid I, Eugenia Church
and Euphemia, the former Vasilissa of Serres, both travelled to
Burial Ljubostinja
the Sultan's court in 1398/99.[3]
Spouse Lazar of Serbia
Issue Stefan Lazarević
In 1403, Eugenia went to the Sultan at Serres, arguing in favour House Nemanjić dynasty
of her son Stefan Lazarević in a complicated dispute that had
Father Vratko Nemanjić
emerged between her two sons and Branković.[2]
Religion Serbian Orthodox

Writer

Princess Milica was also a writer. She wrote several prayers and
religious poems. In 1397 she issued the "A Mother's Prayer"
together with her sons at the Dečani monastery.[4] She
commissioned the repairing of the bronze horos of Dečani.[2]

Death and burial

She was buried in Ljubostinja, her monastery. She was canonized

by the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Family
With Prince Lazar she had five daughters and three sons: Statue of Princess Milica in Trstenik

Jelena Lazarević, who married Đurađ II Balšić and of

Grand Duke of Hum Sandalj Hranić Kosača
Mara Lazarević, who married Vuk Branković
Dragana Lazarević, who married Emperor Ivan Shishman of
Bulgaria
Teodora Lazarević
Olivera Lazarević, who married Bayezid I and changed name in
Despina Hatun.
Dobrovoj, died after birth
Despot Stefan,
Vuk Lazarević

Legacy Ljubostinja monastery was

founded by Princess Milica

Street names

Several streets throughout Central Serbia are named after the Princess. In the once thriving industrial city of
Trstenik, Serbia, the main street that runs directly through city center is named Kneginje Milice. Trstenik,
Serbia, is the closest major city to her burial site at Ljubostinja Monastery.

There is a Kneginje Milice street also located in Lazarevac, in borough Lukavica. The street is about 250 m
long. Near that street is Kolubarski trg and Zivojina Zujovica street.

See also
Lazarević dynasty
Jefimija
 Saint Angelina of Serbia
Olivera Despina
Jelena Balšić
Helen of Anjou
Simonida
Maria Angelina Doukaina Palaiologina
Mara Branković
Katarina Branković

References
1. Vujić, Joakim (2006), "The transformation of symbolic
geography: Characteristics of the Serbian people", in
Trencsényi, Balázs; Kopeček, Michal (eds.), Late enlightenment
emergence of the modern 'national idea, Budapest New York:
Central European University Press, p. 115,
ISBN 9789637326523.
2. Gavrilović, Zaga (2006), "Women in Serbian politics, diplomacy
and art at the beginning of Ottoman rule", in Jeffreys, Elizabeth
M. (ed.), Byzantine style, religion, and civilization: in honour of
Sir Steven Runciman, New York: Cambridge University Press,
pp. 75–78, ISBN 9780521834452.
3. Ćirković, Sima M.; Korać, Vojislav; Babić, Gordana (1986).
Studenica Monastery. Belgrade: Jugoslovenska Revija. p. 144.
OCLC 17159580 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/17159580).
4. Popovich, Ljubica D. (1994). "Portraits of Knjeginja Milica" (http
s://web.archive.org/web/20171123205023/http://www.serbianstu
dies.org/publications.html). Serbian Studies. North American
Society for Serbian Studies. 8 (1–2): 94–95. Archived from the
original (http://serbianstudies.org/publications.html) on 2017-11-
23. Retrieved 2015-05-29. Pdf. (http://serbianstudies.org/publica
tions/pdf/SS_Vol%208_1994_No%201-2.pdf)

Sources
Stevanović, Miladin (2005). Kneginja Milica Hrebeljanović (https://books.google.com/books?
id=weOgAAAAMAAJ). Knjiga-komerc. ISBN 9788677120795.
Vasiljević, Marija (2016). "Генеалогије између историје и идеологије: пример порекла
кнегиње Милице" (https://web.archive.org/web/20180324160543/http://www.iib.ac.rs/docs/Is
torijskiCasopis65(2016).pdf) (PDF). Историјски часопис. Belgrade: Istorijski institut. 65:
79–100. Archived from the original (http://www.iib.ac.rs/docs/IstorijskiCasopis65%282016%2
9.pdf) (PDF) on 2018-03-24. Retrieved 2017-03-26.

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